Some wireless mobile telephone service providers offer their customers a service referred to as voice dialing. One way for a customer to utilize this service is by simply pressing a particular button on their mobile phone thereby wirelessly connecting the phone to a voice dialing application. This service may also be available to customers as a replacement of the traditional “dial tone” experience, allowing the customer to dial by name simply by picking up a traditional telephone handset off the hook. As such, an automated audio prompts the customer to say the name of the person that he or she wishes to call. Once the customer has spoken the name of the person, the voice dialing application utilizes speech recognition to interpret the spoken name. Subsequently, the voice dialing application references the customer's electronic network address book to determine the phone number that corresponds with the spoken name. Once determined, the voice dialing application automatically dials the phone number for the customer. In this manner, the customer is able to easily call people just by speaking their name to the voice dialing application.
It is understood that in order for the voice dialing application to operate properly, the customer's network address book has to include the names and corresponding telephone numbers of those people that the customer would like to call. As such, the voice dialing application is typically only able to automatically dial those people whose name and corresponding phone number are stored in the customer's network address book. Other telephone applications including voicemail, ringtones, ringback tones, conference calling and other enhanced voice and data services may also share access to this same network address book; voice dialing is but one example of a multitude of services that depend upon a network address book.
One common way for adding people's names and corresponding telephone numbers into a customer's network address book is for the customer to use a computer system having access to the Internet and visit a web site interface where each individual name and corresponding phone number is typed into a form, one by one. However, this technique can be time consuming for a customer wanting to add a significant number of people's names and corresponding phone numbers.
Another common way for adding people's names and corresponding telephone numbers into a customer's network address book is for the customer to use a telephone interface where each individual name and corresponding phone number is spoken, one by one. Notwithstanding, this telephone technique can also be time consuming for a customer wanting to add a significant number of people's names and corresponding phone numbers.
Yet another common way for adding people's names and corresponding phone numbers into a customer's network address book is for the customer to synchronize an existing electronic address book that includes the desired information with the customer's network address book. Nevertheless, this synchronization technique can present a sizable adoption barrier for those that are either intimidated by technology or are unfamiliar with it.